A popular theatre has come under fire after it made the decision to incorporate trigger warnings on 22 of its shows for the upcoming 2025/2026 season – including warning audiences that a production of Sherlock Holmes may contain references to crime.
In a new trigger warning for the production of Sherlock Holmes: The Hunt for Moriarty, the Everyman Theatre in Cheltenham warns ticket holders that the show contains “discussions of war and crime, possible death and murder”.
Other warnings include an Inspector Morse play tackling the grim subject of death, while Midsomer Murders carries warnings of “murder, death and crime”.
Meanwhile Stephen King’s The Shawshank Redemption has “prison, nudity, suicide, death, violence, sexual themes, sexual violence” during the performance, while a further three operas are also noted to carry warnings with subjects in a similar vein.
The inclusion of the warnings is to make sure audiences can make informed choices about what to watch, without being caught unawares by potentially upsetting subject matter, reports The Sun.
However, not everyone has welcomed the decision with open arms, with freedom of speech advocate Toby Young, a member of the House of Lords – deeming it an almost laughable outcome.
Sharing his incredulity, Lord Young of Acton said: “If this theatre put on a production of the Nutcracker would it have to put on a warning saying, ‘may contain nuts’?”
The content warnings are hardly a new addition for the Everyman Theatre however, as they previously hit the press last Christmas for placing trigger warnings on a pantomime production of Aladdin.
The content warning stated: “Panto is a lot of fun, but sometimes it can be a little bit loud, and a little bit cheeky, with some jokes that only grown-ups will understand. Please bear this in mind if you are bringing anyone under the age of 5, or anyone with a nervous or more sensitive disposition.”
By warning people in advance, it allows audiences to make informed choices about what they want to watch, without any nasty surprises mid-performance that may impact on their enjoyment of the show.
Defending their decision to include the new warnings, The Everyman Theatre said: “Trigger warnings exist so that people can make informed decisions.
“For most of the audience, a glance at the content warning board won’t mean much.But for some, those warnings are vital.”
“We aim to make theatre accessible for all and that is why trigger warnings exist.”